Ka'b bin Zuhayr

Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr (Arabic: كعب بن زهير‎‎) was an Arabian poet of the 7th century, and a contemporary of the Islamic Prophet Muḥammad. He was the writer of Bānat Suʿād, a qasida in praise of the prophet Mohammed.^[1] This was the first na'at in Arabic.^[2]

Life

Zuhayr started composing poetry as a child; his father - a renowned poet himself - prohibited him and suggested not to compose poetry till the strengthening of his ideas and speech. Nevertheless, he continued to compose poetry. At last one day his father Zuhayr took a hard test of him , when he succeeded in that hard test his father allowed him to compose poetry and Ka'b become a famous poet of that time.^[3] When Islam came Ka'b and his brother Buzayr went out to Prophet Muḥammad but in the way ka'b's intention changed and he turned back. Buzayr went to the Prophet Muḥammad and accepted islam . When Ka'ab found out about his brother accepting Islam , he composed satire of his brother and the Prophet Muḥammad . After that Prophet Muḥammad declared about punishment for Ka'b. Then his brother Buzayr advised him to take pardon to Prophet Muḥammad. At first, he did not listen to his brother and started seeking help of others in the matter. But later he reached Prophet Muḥammad through Abu Bakr and accepted Islam. It was then that he composed the first na'at Bānat Suʿād.^[2]

Poetry

Ka'ab found environment of poetry at his home. Because of this he started composing poetry at a young age and become a famous poet. Critic Khalful Ahmar says that if Zuhayr had not said the long poetry through which he became famous , he wouldn't have considered him a greater poet than his son. Other critic says that if he had not composed his poetry using hard language then he could be a great poet as his father before him.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Michael A. Sells and M. J. Sells, Bānat Suʿād: translation and introduction, Journal of Arabic Literature Vol. 21, No. 2 (Sep., 1990), pp. 140-154
2. Tarikhul adab AL arabi by Ahmad Hasan zaiyaat, ISBN 9953850097.
3. Arbi adab ki tarikh by Muhammad Kazem

Bibliography

• Penzer, Norman Mosley. "The Harem", Chapter XI
• The Burda of Hadrat Ka'b bin Zuhair
•  Gilman, D. C.; Thurston, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Kaab ibn Zuhair". New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.